“Hero of the planet” Bill Mc Donough, his ideas and how and to where they are spreading…buildings as trees, cities as forests

“Imagine a building that makes oxygen, distills water, produces energy, changes with the seasons—and is beautiful. In effect, that building is like a tree, standing in a city that is like a forest.”

The above design and the ideas behind it come from William McDonough, the green architect par excellence, who built the first solar-powered house in Ireland in 1977 and was entitled “Hero of the Planet” in 1999 by the Time magazine, this latest proposal for the Tower of tomorrow was commissioned by Fortune Magazine. Read more on INHABITAT

His question:“How do we love all of the children of all species for all time.”

His goal:“A delightfullyt diverse, safe, healthy and just World, with clean air, water, soil and power – economically, equitably, economically and elegantly enjoyed.”

Meanwhile in ireland…

After many many years of asking and hoping, EASA is finally coming to Ireland….a long journey since the early days, nearly 6 years ago now, when Ireland recovered from being a “Lost country” and a few Paddys wandered out to participate in EASA 02 @ Samogar, Vis, Croatia…

and these questions:
1- What is an architect in today’s society?
2- Define “innovative architect”
3- How should one practice architecture?
4- What are the architect’s responsibilities?
5- What or where is architecture’s laboratory?
6- How can architecture be taught today?

2 Responses to “Hero of the planet” Bill Mc Donough, his ideas and how and to where they are spreading…buildings as trees, cities as forests

I just received an email from Roger Cox, an attorney in the Netherlands who is one of green architect William McDonough’s most ardent fans and also happens to been leading Holland’s “cradle to cradle” movement. However, Cox is now launching a campaign against his hero to open up the C2C movement to all.

Last November in my article “The Mortal Messiah” I chronicled the tragedy of McDonough, the star-studded green designer who keeps short-circuiting his potentially world-changing C2C concept. Well, it turns out the very limitations we highlighted–McDonough’s inability to relinquish control–are again coming back to bite him….

Green Guru Gone Wrong: William McDonough
– Green architect William McDonough has been hailed as a water-walking visionary. The truth is far more complicated.
-By Danielle Sacks, November 1, 2008http://www.fastcompany.com/node/1042475/print

+ original C2C

Cradle to Cradle

In their 1976 research report to the European Commission in Brussels ‘The Potential for Substituting Manpower for Energy’, Walter Stahel and Genevieve Reday sketched the vision of an economy in loops (or circular economy) and its impact on job creation, economic competitiveness, resource savings and waste prevention. The report was published in 1982 as a book “Jobs for Tomorrow, the Potential for Substituting Manpower for Energy”. Today these factors are commonly referred to as the three pillars of sustainable development: ecologic, economic and social compatibility.